Aromatic compounds having a three carbon side chain such as an allyl-(--CH.sub.2 CH.dbd.CH.sub.2) or an propenyl-(--CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.3) side chain find frequent use as flavoring agents, perfumery agents, insecticidal agents and pharmaceutical agents or as intermediates to prepare these agents. Examples of such compounds include p-propenylanisole, p-allylanisole, eugenol, methyl eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl isoeugenol, allyl benzene, propenylbenzene and the like.
Allyl chloride has been used to react with benzene compounds to produce allyl benzene or 2-chloropropylbenzene compounds using Friedel-Crafts type of catalysts. Friedel-Crafts & Related Reactions, Vol. 1, G. A. Olah, Ed., pp 892-893, 1963, Interscience, New York. The use of strong Lewis-acids such as AlCl.sub.3, BF.sub.3, HF and TaCl.sub.5 present certain problems in their utilization for commercial applications. These materials are extremely corrosive. They are found either dissolved in or in finely particulate form in the reaction products and require expensive separation processes to maintain product purity. Many of these materials also have a tendency to produce a multitude of products. A process for reacting allyl chloride with arene compounds that would utilize a Friedel-Crafts type of Catalyst which would be "tied down to " an inert support would be very useful from both an environmental point of view, a product quality point of view, a handling point of view, and in alleviating corrosion of plant equipment.